In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI did something truly remarkable: He resigned the papacy.
In his letter of resignation he explained that physical strength “has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”
At 85, the rigor and demands of his job were overwhelming — they would overwhelm a man half his age.
It was an honest, if not obvious, admission.
Popes, like other leaders, are typically older, if not elderly, when elected, and they serve until death.